Know About eBooks - A Library in Your Gadget
What are e-books (also eBooks) ?
E-books
(or eBooks) are books that have to be read on the screen of an electronic device. They are
often but not always digital versions of printed books.
Are eBooks priced lower than paper books ?
Prices
of e-books are comparable with those of printed books. At Amazon, the best
sellers of the New York Times list are priced around Rs 450. Other books are
usually chapter. Those buying online from India have to pay $2 extra for most
books.
Do people read eBooks ?
Printed
books outsell eBooks everywhere but the sell of digital tomes is growing
exponentially in the West. E-books (eBooks) recently became the most popular single
format of books in the West during more than paperbacks or hard covers. Last Christmas
day alone, one million eBooks were downloaded from the website. eBooks are
also highly popular in Europe. In India, however, the eBook market is in its
infancy.
How to read an eBook ?
eBooks can be read
on computers, laptops, tablets, notebooks, cell phones, portable media players
and dedicated e-book readers. While computers and laptops with large screens
can be an advantage but, you can not lie down on a bed with then to read an
eBook. Cell phone screens are generally too small to offer a pleasant reading
experience. Tablets like iPad and dedicated e-readers offers the best ways to
read e-books, but they are expensive.
Where do you get eBooks ? (eBook Stores)
Many
booksellers including giants like Amazon
and Barnes & Noble, sell
eBooks. Ads selling eBooks can be found in many websites wherefrom one can
buy it of his choice online through a bank credit card or debit card.
There
is a vast repository of free e-books online, from classics whose have expired
to self-published works. Project Gutenberg
alone offers about 33000 eBooks including all-time favorites like Great Expectations, Pride and Prejudice, etc for free download. Its partners,
associates, affiliates offer about 100,000 free e-books.
Google
recently launched Google eBookstore
where millions of free e-books (eBooks) and public domain eBooks are available. But in
India, we may have to wait for some time more to download the latest titles.
Some other websites offering free eBooks are – www.manybooks.net,
www.feedbooks.com and www.wattapad.com.
Can all eBooks be read on all digital devices ?
eBooks come in various file formats like .pdf,
.epub, .azw, .pdb, .fb2. if you are reading on a computer, you have to have a
right software installed to open the concerned e-book format. If you are
reading on a tablet or e-reader, it must support the format in order to
download the e-book. For instance, Amazon’s Kindle does not support the e-Pub
format, which most other e-readers support. However, conversion of an e-book from
one format to other format is also possible, though not always.
Benefits and advantages of eBooks over a printed book
E-Books (eBooks) do not occupy physical space. Imagine, just
a little space of a hard disk is all you need to house a library. You may store your eBooks even
without sparing any space of your own too. Yes,
if you keep your e-books collection in a cloud (Amazon, for instance, stores your eBooks for you), you can
download whichever eBook and whenever you like.
There
are many other Benefits and Advantages of eBooks also. eBooks do not go out of print; hence rare books that are very difficult to
find in a printed format are readily available as eBooks.
eBooks
also do not have a delivery charge; hence buying one online is a lot cheaper
than importing its printed version.
Searching
or finding a word or phrase within a eBook is a matter of click only – no
going to the index or turning pages after pages needing lot of time, energy and
patience.
Can eBooks be lent or gifted ?
Yes but it depends on where you got the e-book. A
Project Gutenberg eBook can be lent or gifted to as many people as you may
like as long as you do not modify the content.
Restrictions or some conditions can be imposed while
you are paying to get an eBook. For instance, you may be allowed to lend an
e-book that you have purchased, but the borrower will be able to access for a
limited number days or times.
Disadvantages of eBooks over a printed book
There is always a tag of disadvantage with every
advantage. eBooks can not be an exception. Though, a few but there are some Disadvantages of eBooks too.
So, what is missing in an eBook? Those who like to bury their noses into the pages of a just bought book to take in the fragrance can not do so in an eBook. For us, reading on paper beats reading on screen. E-books have to be read on the screen of a devise only. eBooks in regional languages are almost impossible to find. eBook libraries are still a distant concept in India.
Keywords: e-books, eBooks, Advantages of eBooks, Disadvantages of eBooks, Read eBook